Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators. The students from Kells, County Meath, are very welcome.

I thank Senator Sherlock for raising this important issue and for the timely opportunity to give an update on the Government’s supports for home retrofit. In order to hit our climate targets, we will need to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a BER B2 cost optimal or carbon equivalent and install 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older and less efficient heating systems by the end of 2030.

Older homes, that is, generally, those built up until around the 1940s, usually fall into the category of traditionally built buildings. Traditionally built homes and buildings are considerably more complex to retrofit. The term "traditional buildings" generally refers to those buildings built with solid walls, often with a lime or earthen-based render finish. This was the dominant form of building construction in Ireland until the second quarter of the 20th century and includes stone-built dwellings.

The primary difference between traditional and modern construction is in the way that moisture is managed. Traditional materials and construction techniques allow for the natural transfer of heat and moisture. Solid masonry walls, therefore, relied on their thickness to cope with atmospheric moisture, being sufficiently thick to ensure that drying out took place before external moisture reached the inside of the building. This means that standard retrofit solutions are often not suitable for use with traditional buildings as they can lead to adverse and unintended consequences for the building fabric and the health or well-being of its occupants.

Energy efficiency upgrade solutions appropriate to such materials and methods are needed in these cases. For example, a stone or brick wall with lime-based mortar will need a lime-based plaster render to remain vapour permeable. A significant proportion of homes and buildings that will need to be retrofitted fall into this category of traditionally built. The SEAI advises that it does not exclude pre-1940 homes from applying for any of its grant-supported schemes. However, all of its approaches are determined by the building regulations, incorporating the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI's, SR 54: 2014 Code of practice for the energy efficient retrofit of dwellings. This means that wall insulation is not recommended under any of its residential energy efficiency schemes on dwellings built before 1940 that are constructed in stone, single-leaf masonry or composite wall construction. That said, the SEAI will assess applicant homes under the various residential energy efficiency schemes for other measures outside wall insulation that may be possible.

While these homes can be eligible for SEAI support, subject to the scheme eligibility criteria and terms and conditions being met, uncertainty about what retrofit treatments are allowable or appropriate has contributed to a limited amount of whole-house energy efficiency upgrades on these buildings. For example, a home could get the attic insulated but not the walls if the SEAI's terms and conditions cannot be met.

The Government fully agrees that it is essential that we have both the standards and supports in place for the retrofitting of all types of housing to ensure that the principles of universality and fairness underpinning the retrofit plan are met. As set out in the plan, a new guidance document that is focused on energy efficiency in traditional buildings is being developed to support the proper upgrading of such buildings. This guidance document draws on expert multidisciplinary advice and expertise and will also reference case studies. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is leading on this project, which also includes experts from my Department and the SEAI. This guidance should help to enable many traditional buildings to be upgraded to a building energy rating, BER, of B2 or above in a way that is appropriate to the building. It is hoped that the guidance can be completed by September. Once available, it will be an important resource to support contractors in the appropriate energy efficiency upgrade and renovation of older stone buildings while ensuring compliance with the appropriate building regulations, including under SEAI grant-funded schemes.